Combination beach robe and blanket



April 6, 1965 F. FREUND COMBINATION BEACH ROBE AND BLANKET United States Patent 3,176,315 coMnrNATroN BEACH nona AND BLANKar f Fred Freund, New York, NSY., assigner to Puritan Sportswear Corp., Altoona, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 241,283 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-69) which will be highly useful for beach Wear and the like,

and will also combine a number of functions. f Another object herein lies in t-he provision of structure of the class described which will provide to the user a garment, a towel, a portion having a pocket for holding `other beach or similar items, a beach pad, a beach bag, and a pillow or cushion.

Another object herein lies in the provision of a combination garment of the character described which is easy and convenient to use and store.

A feature of the invention lies in a simplified construcf y, tion thereof wherein the same may be manufactured in large scale at relatively low cost so as to have a consequent wide distribution and use.

These objects, and other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear Iin the progress of this disclosure f and be pointed out in the appended claim.

y In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention, as worn.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view with the outer side of the garment or outer surface of the garment disposed upwardly.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view with the embodiment partially folded.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the device in one stage of being folded for storing.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view corresponding to FIGURE 4, but showing the parts in closed or stored condition.

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view, partly in section, corresponding to FIGURE 4, but showing the inflatable means distended.

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view showing the structure of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is an elevational view showing the structure of FIGURE 7 slightly reduced and carried by a user.

rFIGURE 9 is a view in perspective showing the structure of FIGURE 8 in condition for use as a pillow.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly: a main body 12; pocket and cover means 14; inflatable means 15; closure means 16; and connecting means 18.

The main body 12 is preferably composed of `a front panel Z0 and a rear panel 22. The panels 20 and 22 are preferably substantially equal in size and configuration, and composed of a suitable flexible planar material. Since the panels and 22 are used for drying as well as for other purposes, they are preferably composed of a highly absorbent textile material such as toweling or terry cloth. The front panel 20 has a top edge 24, -a bottom Patented Apr. 6, 1965 edge 44, a bottom edge 46, iand side edges 48 `and 50. Rear' panel Z2 has an outer rear surface 52 andyaninner rear surface 54.

Connected to the side edges 28, 30, 48, 50, are a plurality of ties 56 which are the connecting means 18 pre- -viously referred to.

The top edge 24 of the -front panel 20, `and the top edge 44 of the rear panel 22, are interconnected in a suitable manner, as by stitching, at the areas 58 and 60. The area of disconnection provides an elongated neck opening 62, through which the head of the wearer may be passed when the garment is donned.

The pocket and cover means 14 includes a front wall 64 having a first surface and a second surface 66; and a rear wall 68 with a first surface 69 and a second surface 70 (FIGURE 4). The front wall 64 is preferably unitary with the rear wall 68, being connected thereto by a top fold 72. The lowermost portion of the front Wall 64 reverses itself through a bight 74. The free edge of the front wall 64 (see reference character 76 on FIGURE 4) is connected to one portion of the closure means 16; while the free edge 79 of the rear wall 68 is connected to the bottom edge 26 and the other portion of the closure means 16, by stitches 78. n, a

The tinatable means 15 is preferably in the form of an airtight bladder 38 with a suitable valve 40 having an inating tube extending therefrom, the non-inflatable borders of which are engaged by the stitches 78 and 8i). The bladder 38 may be of any desired width up to the width of means 14.

The structure described forms a top opening pocket, best seen in FIGURE l, the opening thereto being delined by the fold 72. In Vorder to support the bladder 38, to increase utility and prevent gaping, the fold 72 is connected to the main body element 12 at a plurality of points by the stitching 80.

The closure means 16 is preferably in the `form of an elongated -slide fastener having a slider 82 and a rst tab 84 and a second tab 86.

With the device 10 as shown in FIGURE 2, the same may be placed upon the earth or sand and used in place of a blanket or pad to lie upon. In this condition, the pocket and cover means 14 will appear in section as shown in FIGURE 4. The enclosed chamber may be used to contain other `auxiliary articles to protect them from accidental loss. Items such Vas cigarettes, matches, bathing hats, spectacles, sunglasses, handkerchiefs, iand the like, may be disposed therein.

When .a pillow is desired, air is blown in through valve 40 to distend the bladder 38 so that the parts may take the position and arrangement indicated in FIGURE 6.

When it is desired to don the device, the bladder 38 is deflated and the device 10 is passed over the users head and the connecting means 18 are tied `at the side, as indicated by reference character 56 on FIGURE l. The upwardly opening pocket defined by the fold 72 is now available for additional articles, which will stay therein by the action of gravity. The garment thus produced may be used to protect the wearer, provide warmth, or drying.

After such use, the garment may be removed and may be returned to the position shown in FIGURE 2. To compact and store the same, the edge 46 is preferably grasped, and the main body element 12 may be folded through a series of folds generally at the dot-dash lines 88, as Well as the line or area 60. The parts will now take the position indicated by the full lines on FIGURE 4.

Following this, the rst tab 84 is pulled to the open position of the closure means 16, and .any contents in the chamber 90 are temporarily removed. The front wall :the device maybe used 64 and the rear wall 68 arelnw turned completely inside' out, andrpulled over'the previously folded and compacted p main body element-12.5 VA`j-fnevvchamber 91 is formed@ Y wit-hin which the main body element 12fiscompletelyenk` closed. The I'slide fastenelflA 119Wibeingreversed-3v the i second'tabf86 is pulled -to ,a Y closed position (FIGURE `5) rPhe handlemeans19 have novv b ecome'exposedas seen,

inPIGUR 7l Since the device 10 now acts as acontain'- throughy the plane of said body element, pocketand coverY means connected to said main tbody Yelement at one vend thereof Iof -sze and vconguration suicient to receive and contain said -mairlbody element in folded condition, selectively 'inflatable means disposed within .and securedrto said pocketfand'cover means, andi-,selecer, prior to the last-mentioned closing oftheslide ctastener,` li

the .articl'es'f'which-had been previouslyf tempor'arily'Y re-Y moved may "befr placed therein for )transporting.` .The device 130 novv'forms aconvenientandattractive beaclrf` bag, as seenfin FIGURE-7.r i

Since `t-he-folded-up main body elementlZ is now-con- `tained within-the chamberl, -it forms a kind of-villing or stuflingtforrv the pocket Yand'ncover means 14, iso' that .as a'pil'low or clu'shioma'sfshwn in VFIGURE 9.

I wish it tobernnderstood'- thatI do not;` desire; tofrbe,

cover rneans,'jand11pon the dellati-on of said inilatable l means, vsaid body` element may be folded and said pocket limited lto the exact d et-'ailsro'fl construction shown andV 20 Y described, for obvious,Y modifications vwill occur to a personskilledY in the fart towhiclrl` the present invention re-Y lates. n f w f I claim:

v Combination garment constructioncomprising; afgene IorallyVrectar'lgnlar bodyfrelement'composed of-ilejrible y planar absorbent mateia'l'includigapair of oppositelyk Vdisposed side edges land la pair-of oppositelyfdispolsed' endg. edges, connecting means disposed along saidjside edges atf points adjacent saidl end edgestl1erev beingV a kmedially 30 disposedk transversely extending V`neck openingfextending tively ex'posable handle means Vdispos'edon' an i, inner surface ,of israidpocket and cover means; whereby kupon the unfolding of saidl rectangular body element from said pocket andscover means, said `indatable `nieanszmay be inated to formfa, cushion coveredv by saidpocket and )and ,coverfmeans turned inside-out to enclose,V said body means and expose saidhandlemeans.

'I ,i Referen'crels'Citved'thelfEiraminer- UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 JoRDAN Primary E3tantinet.v Y n DAVID J, wrLLrAMowsri/g Lvmu'ner..-Y 

